Does your child's nursery use learning apps or digital activities? New research from Frontiers in Education examined 365 early childhood teachers to understand why some classrooms keep using educational technology long-term, while others abandon it after the initial rollout.
The study focused on a simple question: what actually makes teachers continue using digital tools in their everyday teaching? Researchers discovered the answer isn't what they expected.
Easy-to-use apps aren't enough on their own
You might assume that if a learning app is simple and intuitive, teachers would naturally keep using it. The study found this isn't true. Instead, digital confidence—how comfortable teachers feel with technology generally—acts as the real deciding factor. A straightforward app will gather dust unless teachers first believe they have the digital skills to use it effectively.
Think of it this way: the tool's simplicity matters far less than whether teachers feel capable of using it. When teachers build their overall digital literacy, they're more likely to see how technology actually makes their work easier and more meaningful. That's what keeps them returning to it.
Government backing influences who adopts technology
The research revealed an interesting pattern across age groups. Younger teachers tended to adopt technology regardless of whether their government actively supported it. Older teachers, however, responded much more strongly to clear government policies, training frameworks, and incentives. The gap between these groups appears to be narrowing as both recognise the value of digital tools when institutional support exists.
For Singapore families, this matters because our government has been actively promoting digital integration in early childhood settings. But the study suggests that success depends on whether nurseries actually invest in training teachers to use these tools confidently.
What to look for at your child's nursery
When your nursery introduces a new learning app or digital system, ask whether teachers have received proper training and feel confident using it. If staff seem stressed or uncertain about the technology, that's a signal it may not last. The most effective digital tools are those where teachers feel supported, trained, and genuinely see them making their teaching easier rather than adding burden.